Bam Adebayo is entering his ninth season with the Miami Heat, and Kendrick Perkins believes it will be the big man’s last.
Perkins spoke about the Heat during an appearance on the latest episode of the “Road Trippin” podcast, which was released on Friday. The former NBA champion said he believes Miami is going to be in for a rough season in 2025-26.
Perkins predicts that the Heat will trade Adebayo prior to the deadline in February.
“Bam Adebayo will not be in a Miami Heat jersey at the end of this year. He will not finish the season in Miami. … I believe it’s time. Miami is nowhere close to being a playoff team,” Perkins said.
“Bam Adebayo will not be in a Miami HEAT jersey at the end of this year. He will not finish the season in Miami… I believe it’s time. Miami is nowhere close to being a playoff team.”
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 18, 2025
– Kendrick Perkins
(Via @RoadTrippinPod / h/t @HeatDiehards ) pic.twitter.com/Drgh1ejzoi
Adebayo is a three-time All-Star and outstanding defensive player. The 6-foot-9 center averaged 18.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last season. He has been with the Heat since they drafted him with the 14th overall pick in 2017, and he is widely considered to be the team’s best player.
If the Heat were to trade Adebayo, that would likely mean they were committed to a rebuild. Pat Riley has historically resisted total rebuilds, but Perkins believes Miami will be so far from contention in 2025-26 that an Adebayo trade will make sense.
The Heat have made the playoffs the past six seasons, but they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round last year. Perkins is right that they are not entering the season as a title contender, though that does not necessarily mean they are willing to trade their franchise cornerstone.
